Garden tips, DIY and décor advice, green living tidbits and information for homesellers from GateHouse News Service. Home Help helps you prep your house for the seasons, find out ways to do chores and repairs better, and learn about new products for
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Garden tips, DIY and décor advice, green living tidbits and information for homesellers from GateHouse News Service. Home Help helps you prep your house for the seasons, find out ways to do chores and repairs better, and learn about new products for your humble abode.

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Find solid-color drapes pre-made. A better quality will be more expensive, but you can still save with solids.

Sept. 16, 2013
10:10 a.m.

Tip of the Week

Color is beautiful. That’s something Rachel Blindauer preaches to clients, who come to her for interior design services for their homes and businesses.

Based in San Francisco, Blindauer offers some tips to get the most out of color and high design, with the least effect on your wallet:

SAVE on paint: “Benjamin Moore, Farrow & Ball and Pratt & Lambert have the best paint colors so that is why I always suggest their paints,” Blindauer said. “But if you are on a budget, a cost-saving measure is to take one of the fabrics in the room to Lowe's or any paint store and have them match the color.” For high-traffic areas, such as hallways, kitchens and bathrooms, Blindauer recommends Benjamin Moore Aura. While not cheap, she says it paints on thick, covers well and is scrubbable, so it’s easy to clean and long-lasting.

SAVE on art: Grab a few small cans of paint in your favorite fabric’s color or the room’s accent colors, Blindauer advises. “Splash and swirl the colors around on the canvas,” she says, making sure the canvas is large enough to fill the negative space above wherever you’re placing it (bed, couch, fireplace, etc.). “Ideally, you want the canvas to be custom stretched to the correct width.”

SAVE on fabrics: Find solid-color drapes pre-made. A better quality will be more expensive, but you can still save with solids. Additionally, Blindauer uses trade fabrics that are “affordable and have great prints.”

SAVE on key pieces: Got a great sideboard? Paint it, Blindauer says. You also can reupholster furniture and gild tables, lamps and chairs.

For more home design ideas and inspiration, check out Blindauer’s website and blog at rachelblindauer.com.